Lions and Bears and turkeys, oh my.
A tradition as old as your grandma’s stuffing recipe, the Detroit Lions are once again back on your television screen on Thanksgiving Day, this time taking on NFC North foe, the Chicago Bears. The teams are heading in opposite directions as the calendar is set to flip to December in the coming days.
The Lions are roaring through the NFC at 10-1, and their offense has been making minced meet of opposing defenses. The Ben Johnson-led offense has flirted with scoring 60 points twice this season, but instead has had to settle for just 52 points in wins against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Bears haven’t had quite the success this year on offense despite the at-times promising play of No. 1 pick, quarterback Caleb Williams. That’s resulted in the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after Week 10 and the installation of Thomas Brown as interim OC.
With that, Williams finally snapped his his touchdown pass drought in Week 12 vs. the Minnesota Vikings, tossing two TDs after going the previous four games without a passing touchdown.
Williams is going to have his hands full – unfortunately, with the Lions defense, not with Thanksgiving food – come Thursday against the Lions’ stellar defense. Detroit enters Week 13 as the No. 2-ranked scoring defense in the league and has allowed a combined 12 points in its past two games.
Any hope that Williams will carve up the passing defense like a turkey may be half-baked – hopefully unlike the green bean casserole on your dinner tables.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Thanksgiving Day tilt between the Lions and the Bears below. All times are Eastern.
Lions vs. Bears Thanksgiving game start time
The Lions and Bears will kick off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving Day.
The Bears travel to Ford Field in Detroit to take on their division rival.
Detroit Lions kickoff time
The Lions are set for kickoff vs. the Bears at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Lions vs. Bears Thanksgiving game TV channel
CBS is the broadcast home to the Lions vs. Bears Thanksgiving Day game.
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be on the call, with Tracy Wolfson adding reports from the sideline.
Lions vs. Bears picks, predictions
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Lions vs. Bears divisional matchup on Thanksgiving will shake out:
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Lorenzo Reyes: Lions 28, Bears 13
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Tyler Dragon: Lions 31, Bears 17
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Richard Morin: Lions 38, Bears 29
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Jordan Mendoza: Lions 29, Bears 17
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We have a complete list at every position:
Lions vs. Bears live stream
For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.
Bears vs. Lions odds, moneyline, over/under
The Lions are favorites to defeat the Bears, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
Chicago Bears record on Thanksgiving
While the season hasn’t gone how Bears fans had hoped, maybe Thanksgiving can offer something of a turning point, if their Thanksgiving record is any indication. The Bears are 20-15-2 all-time on Thanksgiving, a solid Turkey Day mark.
NFC North division standings
The NFC North has been fairly competitive in 2024, but the Lions are the cream of the crop in the division – and all of the NFC, as well. Here’s how the division stacks up entering the Thanksgiving game:
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Lions (10-1)
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Vikings (9-2)
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Packers (8-3)
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Bears (4-7)
Updated 2025 NFL draft order
Here’s how the 2025 NFL draft order shakes out after Week 12’s slate, according to Tankathon.com:
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Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-9 record; .495 strength of schedule
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New York Giants: 2-9; .529 SOS
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Las Vegas Raiders: 2-9; .532 SOS
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New England Patriots: 3-9; .466 SOS
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Carolina Panthers: 3-8; .487 SOS
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Tennessee Titans: 3-8; .503 SOS
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New York Jets: 3-8; .505 SOS
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Cleveland Browns: 3-8; .518 SOS
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New Orleans Saints: 4-7; .487 SOS
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Cincinnati Bengals: 4-7; .495 SOS
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Dallas Cowboys: 4-7; .518 SOS
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Chicago Bears: 4-7; .555 SOS
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Indianapolis Colts: 5-7; .482 SOS
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Miami Dolphins: 5-6; .429 SOS
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-6; .511 SOS
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Los Angeles Rams: 5-6; .532 SOS
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San Francisco 49ers: 5-6; .553 SOS
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Arizona Cardinals: 6-5; .529 SOS
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Atlanta Falcons: 6-5; .503 SOS
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Seattle Seahawks: 6-5; .519 SOS
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Washington Commanders: 7-5; .447 SOS
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Houston Texans: 7-5; .487 SOS
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Denver Broncos: 7-5; .492 SOS
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Los Angeles Chargers: 7-4; .476 SOS
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Baltimore Ravens: 8-4; .521 SOS
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Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-3; .479 SOS
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Green Bay Packers: 8-3; .545 SOS
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Minnesota Vikings: 9-2; .497 SOS
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Philadelphia Eagles: 9-2; .432 SOS
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Buffalo Bills: 9-2; .464 SOS
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Kansas City Chiefs: 10-1; .492 SOS
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Detroit Lions: 10-1; .524 SOS
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lions vs. Bears live updates: Picks, TV info for Thanksgiving game